Lipsi

Lipsi just north of Leros is an overlooked island blessed with great charm, quiet speed, genuine Greek every-day-life, friendly islanders and cosy tavernas serving great Greek home cooking. If you are searching for an island where you can shop till you drop, stroll around and watch the other tourists or take an umbrella drink at a cool bar, Lipsi is not for you. If you on the other hand are looking for an undisturbed and peaceful island, you have found the right place. In short, Lipsi is suitable for "small-island-lovers" who can enjoy themselves; for example by walking to a beach with a nice taverna and to read a book a whole day.

Getting here
The easiest is to go by air to Samos and continue by ferry from the port of Pythagorion. Lipsi also has good ferry connections to some of the nearby islands, such as Patmos and Leros.

Getting around
Lipsi is so small that you without effort can get around on foot. There are local bus service and mopeds for rent. Excursion boat to the islands outside Lipsi, for example Arki and Marathi, departs several times a week in good weather. That boat excursion is one of my favourites and I do it every time when I'm visiting Lipsi.

Lipsi - the island's only village.

Katsadia.

Villages
Lipsi is the name of the island's only village. From the harbour to the village itself, a small harbour promenade runs, lined with tavernas. Along the promenade, small colourful fishing boats are moored. The great gathering place in the village is the square. On the square there is a taverna and a kafenión, both are very nice. Starting from the square, one can start out to explore the alleys. After a few minutes you are back again, bigger than that, it is not.

Beaches
Do not expect to come across long paradise beaches with white powder fine sand, sun beds and umbrellas. What you can look forward to is a dozen of small, narrow and sparsely visited beaches surrounded by lovely snorkel-friendly water. The beaches closest to the village are Lendou and Kambos. Lendou is the better of the two.

Platys Gialos is, in my opinion, the best beach on Lipsi. Not that the beach itself is that good, but because of the unlikely turquoise water; and also because that one of the best lunch tavernas - Kostas Taverna - in the Greek archipelago is to be found here. (Picture of the beach is at the top of the page.) Other beaches are Katsadia, Cholakouras, Tourkomnima and Monodendri.

Sights
There are no sights. But as often on small islands it is the everyday life itself that is the attraction. To be sitting with an ouzo and listen to the old men outside the ouzeria in the small fishing boat harbour can be just as interesting as a visit to Knossos in Crete.

Accommodation
No problem to find a place to stay on your own except in high season when you should book ahead. Letter of rooms meet all the ferries in the port and it is usually a scramble for the customers.

White island close to Lipsi

MORE ABOUT LIPSI
Geographical location »
Map of Lipsi »
Ferry timetable »

OTHER LINKS
Weather in Greece »
Leros - nearest island »
Lipsi.se »

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